Kirtan Mela Mauritius, 2015
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The Kirtan Mela in Mauritius took place from 10 – 12 April. Although it is a small island, over 5000 devotees participated and there was a lot of coverage on national TV as well as other media. Kadamba Kanana Swami, Bhakti Caitanya Swami, Lokanatha Swami, Sacinandana Swami and BB Govinda Swami were some of the main kirtaniyas in this event. Kadamba Kanana Swami’s solar birthday fell while he was in Mauritius and devotees surprised him with a celebration; photos are included in the slide-show. Here is a short description of the festival!

By Kadamba Kanana Swami

The Kirtan Mela in Mauritius was especially nice because there was a great sense of togetherness. The Sannyasis stayed practically eight hours in the kirtan every day and the devotees were very enthusiastic. It was the biggest international Krsna conscious event ever and everyone was on fire as they chanted and danced for hours. The devotees were very warm and caring so our stay was very nice. When I was on the plane leaving the country, an older Indian couple asked me, “Did you come from the Kirtan Mela? We could hear it in our house.” The Kirtan Mela flooded Mauritius in an ocean of ecstasy!

 

Photos

Visit flickr to see more photos.

kirtan (2) kirtan mela mauritius (10) kirtan mela mauritius (6) kirtan mela mauritius (33) birthday (9)

 

Videos

Day 1 – Kadamba Kanana Swami – 10 April 2015

Day 2 – Kadamba Kanana Swami – 11 April 2015

 

Day 3 – Kadamba Kanana Swami – 12 April 2015

 

 

Why is Krishna Blue? Why is Krishna Black?
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First lets get the color straight. He’s not “blue.” He is śyāma / nīla.  

The color śyāma is “Dark (black), with slight blue-green coloration.” A really heavy monsoon cloud, for example, is śyāma. The color nīla is “Dark, black, bluish/greenish-black.” A sapphire (nīla-maṇi) is a common example of this color.

So, basically, Krishna is black with a sapphire-blue luster.

OK, now let’s get to the “why” part.

Why is Krishna black? Why is anything black? What is black? Black is what you see when an object reflects no light. Black things absorb all the light that falls on them, letting nothing go. When something attracts all the light, and nothing escapes, it’s black.

And that’s why Krishna is black, because that’s what Krishna is – All-Attractive.

Throughout the Veda, “light” is used to describe consciousness, because consciousness illuminates existence. Our consciousness can shine its light anywhere. When it shines on something beautiful, it get’s stuck there. We’ve all experienced a song we can’t get out of our head. A girl or boy we can’t stop thinking of. A sunset we can’t take our eyes off. A game we can’t stop playing. Attractive, beautiful, delightful things are “sticky”, sticky with light, sticky with consciousness. They are “black.”

Krishna is so black, because he is All-Attractive. When our consciousness falls upon him, it sticks there forever. When light falls upon him, it never bounces off again. He is black. He is so fascinating, so delectably sweet, so delightfully deep, so thrillingly pleasurable, so enthrallingly enchanting and adventurous… no “light” escapes.


Tagged: Black, Color of God, Krishna

Vishnu’s Oneness
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Hari Replies

Hṛṣīkeśa is the most essential object of worship. After he was honorably glorified, the learned and wise Dakṣa again began the ceremonial worship Rudra had ruined.

The All-Attractive is the soul of everyone, and thus the enjoyer of everyone’s portions, but he seemed to be pleased by receiving his own portion of worship in the ceremony, and pleasantly addressed Dakṣa.

“There is no difference between me and Brahmā, or Śiva,” Viṣṇu said. “We are the ultimate cause of the world, oversee its existence, and yet are independent from it because we are self-mastered and self-seeing.”

“But the supreme must be one entity,” Dakṣa would protest. “Not three!”

So the All-Attractive explained. “I put my own power into this world of external qualities, which becomes known in three different ways as it emanates, protects, and withdraws the cosmos. This power is the non-dual Brahman in the singular supreme soul, Paramātma. Only a fool sees Brahmā, Rudra, or any creature, to be different from it.

“Therefore, a person who truly considers me supreme never makes divisions among creatures; no more than anyone would think there is a different person in the head, hands, and limbs of his own body.

“The three of us – myself, Brahmā, and Rudra – are one beings. Please do not see us with divided vision. One who sees Brahman as the essence of all creatures achieves true peace.”

Conclusion of the Ceremony

After the leader of the Progenitors was educated by Hari, he properly worshipped each of the individual gods. He particularly offered Rudra his own ceremonial portion with great care. When the ceremony was complete he offered soma nectar to everyone else who had attended. Then, with the ceremony’s officiates, he took the concluding bath.

His own realizations from the worship certainly enlightened him. And the thirty gods blessed him, dharma eva matim [“May your mind be most ethical”], before returning to the heavens.

Satī

It is said that when Dakṣa’s daughter Satī abandoned her previous body she was born from Menā, the wife of Himavata, father of the Himalaya Mountains, and became known as Ambikā. She immediately resumed her singular and undivided love, and again married her former husband – just as dormant śakti always gravitates towards the Supreme Person.

Conclusion of the Tale

Concluding the tale of All-Attractive Śambhu’s ruination of Dakṣa’s ceremony, Maitreya told Vidura, “I heard all this from Uddhava, the blessed devotee and student of Bṛhaspati. Anyone who carefully hears this supremely purifying description of God’s adventures and retells it in a devotional spirit is washed of all impurity, freed from all bad habbits, and blessed with long life and good fame.”

— Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 4.7.48 ~ 61 [end]

Vraja Kishor dās

VrajaKishor.com


Tagged: Advaita, gods, monotheism, Oneness, polytheism

Sri Harinama Is Glorious
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"Sri harinama is glorious! Chanted in any condition of life, whether almost dead, deathly sick, slipping, falling, or in any semi-conscious state, the name of Sri Bhagavan releases the chanting person from the bondage of karmic reactions and promotes him to the highest goal of spiritual achievement..."

From Jaiva-dharma
by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur

Waking Up to My Will
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Serenity Series: March

"I've wanted to be a high school English teacher since I was 12."

I've been reciting this line for the past decade or so. This aspiration has driven my endeavors in university, travel, and then ultimately to graduate school. I've recited this line in application essays, interviews, blog posts, and Facebook statuses.

Last fall, I dove into a month-long interview process to work as a teacher assistant at a reputable charter school network. I did my best and surrendered the result to Krishna. Bam - I got my dream position. The principal and I agreed to try it out, see how things went. I was amazed and excited, thrilled to be so directly working and on the path of my lifelong aspiration.

My first days at the school were fascinating, and I was invigorated, inspired. Yes, yes!! This is what I want!

A couple weeks in, I began to feel conflicted. Many times I would come home and cry. Dread. My experienced was summed up in that word. I dreaded checking my work e-mail, I dreaded getting out of bed on days that I worked, I dreaded being at work.

True, I was very rarely engaged in work that related directly to teaching English and to working with students in meaningful ways. I often felt awkward, out of place.

During one particular meeting with the principal of my school, I was suddenly hit with the words: "I'm not meant to be a teacher. Not in this capacity."

That night I got down on my knees and sobbed and prayed to Krishna. Where do I go from here? What does this all mean?

Strangely enough, in the following days I felt lighter. I felt free. I felt as though I had finally broken free of a lifelong expectation that I had had of myself. Free of my history, free of that line that I had been reciting for over a decade in essays and interviews.

I shared with my supervisor my intention to leave the school, and she was understanding. I gave my notice of resignation to the principal, and she was kind and gave her blessings for me to continue on my way. So did all of the other teachers and staff in the building. My last day of work I experienced love and good will from everyone, including students.

I have felt deeply free the past couple weeks. I feel as though the world is open now, wide open. If I decide to work in a circus as a flame thrower, lovely! If I decide to pursue architecture, awesome!

If I decide to be a high school English teacher, wonderful!

Now I know that whatever I do pursue it is because I am using the God given free will of my heart and I would choose to say, "I've wanted to be a high school English teacher since this very moment." 
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The most desirable position
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 04 April 2015, Durban, South Africa, Lecture: The Golden Incarnation)

SP_smilingAll vaisnavas from the four bonafide sampradayas are standing shoulder to shoulder to expose impersonalism which says that the living entity can become God. Never can the living being become God! All vaisnavas will say that we can only be the eternal servant of God! That is a very exalted position. The servant of the king lives in a palace. The servant of the Lord does not live in a palace. The servant of the Lord lives in the spiritual world. Even while walking around in this material world, the servant of the Lord lives in the spiritual world. So there is no greater position than to be the servant of the Supreme Lord. That is the most desirable position.

Hare Krishna! 1st North American ISKCON Medical Professional…
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Hare Krishna! 1st North American ISKCON Medical Professional Retreat
This retreat is a forum for all physician devotees and those within the medical field to gather and experience enlivening fellowship. We will be deeply honored by your presence. The retreat is open to all premed students, medical students, students in other medical disciplines, interns, residents, and fellows as well. The program will feature inspiring talks by HH Romapada swami and HG Anuttama prabhu and group discussions will be facilitated by HG Vraj Vihari prabhu. We will have ecstatic kirtans, wonderful prasadam and plenty of time to associate with one another and experience the beauty of Gita Nagari dhama and its cows.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=17194

Hare Krishna! 1st North American ISKCON Medical Professional…
→ Dandavats.com



Hare Krishna! 1st North American ISKCON Medical Professional Retreat
This retreat is a forum for all physician devotees and those within the medical field to gather and experience enlivening fellowship. We will be deeply honored by your presence. The retreat is open to all premed students, medical students, students in other medical disciplines, interns, residents, and fellows as well. The program will feature inspiring talks by HH Romapada swami and HG Anuttama prabhu and group discussions will be facilitated by HG Vraj Vihari prabhu. We will have ecstatic kirtans, wonderful prasadam and plenty of time to associate with one another and experience the beauty of Gita Nagari dhama and its cows.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=17194

Sabbatical Course Bhaktivedanta Manor Deepen your spiritual…
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Sabbatical Course Bhaktivedanta Manor
Deepen your spiritual roots this year…Immerse yourself in a transcendental adventure - Sabbatical Course 2015/16 This two part, 6 month course is for those who are familiar in the practice of Krishna Consciousness and want to explore it further by diving in to deepen their spiritual roots. The first half of the course starts in the heart of spiritual practices, India. You’ll be living among 150 monks in the world-famous flagship center of training & education - ISKCON Chowpatty, Mumbai! An opportunity to delve in the innumerable number of seminars, practical workshops & training courses available - all taught by some of the best teachers across the globe. But not only that, the adventure continues when you can take part in pilgrimages to various Holy spots including Vrindavan, Mayapur & Jagannath Puri - so you can really get a glimpse of the spiritual world! On your return from India, starts the second half of the course, based at Bhaktivedanta Manor. This part of the course is mainly focused on completion of the Bhakti Shastri degree, where participants get to spend quality time studying Nectar of Instruction, Nectar of Devotion, Sri Isopanisad & Bhagavad Gita As It Is. You will also gain a healthy exposure to a variety of outreach programs at the Manor to develop practical skills such as public speaking, team leadership, managing projects.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=17190

Bhaktivedanta National School in Tripura: Training future devotees
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Bhaktivedanta National School Ananda Bazar, Tripura ISKCON Tribal Care (ITC) Initiative   By ITC Communications In the 40’s, missionaries introduced Christianity to villages in Assam and converted most of the people in the area.  Along with churches and chapels, they opened Christian schools. Devotee children have been attending them due to lack of any other […]

The post Bhaktivedanta National School in Tripura: Training future devotees appeared first on Mayapur.com.

ISKCON Nepal relief message by HH Jayapataka Swami
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I along with other TOVP Exhibit members were in the Lotus Building attending TOVP exhibits conference on April 25th at 1.00 pm in Sridham Mayapur when the building began to shake. We quickly left our conference room and moved to Prabhupada’s park. While we were there, I was informed that a massive earth quake had […]

The post ISKCON Nepal relief message by HH Jayapataka Swami appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Harinama in Yekaterinburg, Russia (Album with…
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Harinama in Yekaterinburg, Russia (Album with photos)
Indradyumna Swami: My Dear Master! Yekaterinburg was founded in 1723 and named after Peter the Great’s wife, Catherine I. It is now Russia’s 4th largest city. It is also home to a thriving community of Krsna conscious devotees who regularly do harinama throughout the beautiful city. As a result of such chanting and dancing, devotees are popular amongst the citizens, who often greet them with the words, “Hare Krsna!” It is all happening by the grace of SrilaPrabhupada. My dear master! May your glories be sung throughout the 3 worlds!
See them here: https://goo.gl/4HgDRa

Hare Krishna! Hare Krishna Documentary Retells Life Of…
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Hare Krishna! Hare Krishna Documentary Retells Life Of Founder
“Acharya: The Life and Legacy of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada” is now in the final stages of production. The slated premiere date is Sept. 17 in honor of the 50-year anniversary of Prabhupada’s arrival in the United States. Das, the spiritual name John Griesser prefers, has been working on the film for two years. He and a staff of 40 producers, filmmakers and editors began production one year ago. “I think coming up with a really good script (has been the biggest challenge),” Das said. “That’s the foundation of any film. It has to be something that is going to grab people’s attention and make them want to know more about Prabhupada.”
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=17182

Hare Krishna! My dear fellow prabhu/mataji, is it you the pure…
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Hare Krishna! My dear fellow prabhu/mataji, is it you the pure devotee? An ancient story retold for the devotees
By Citraka dasa. “Prabhus,” the temple president said, “I have incredible news. I have just been told, without any room for doubt or question, the following. A pure devotee is amongst you!” Vaishnava das, a faithful servant of Srila Prabhupada, for many years serving as temple president in a temple community of devotees, had just returned from a visit to a nearby hut which an older sannyasi had chosen as his base for his writing in preparing for his next preaching tour duties. He had approached him with heavy heart to get some advice for the difficult times his temple was going through. A famous Iskcon temple had fallen on hard times.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=17179

The Four Goals are Unnecessary
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The first goal, kāma, is not just “pleasure,” but it is happiness itself. It is  the underlying motivation for everything we do, and the ultimate objective of all the other goals. Consciousness itself has direct access to such kāma pleasure, described as ānanda, but since we are enamored with external existence we neglect to seek this kāma within our natural being, and make efforts to discover it outside ourselves. This necessitates the three other goals…
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The second goal, artha, is not just stability but wealth, abundance, and prosperity. We resort to Artha when we need some way of bolstering and fortifying our external concept of pleasure. For example, everyone likes to play on the playground, but after a while we get hungry and need to eat. Having a supply of food, or some way to get food, is a primary example of artha. 
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The third goal, dharma, is morality in the sense of accepting a certain role in society and not violating the limits of that role. The need for this dharma only arises when our concept of kāma is directed to the resources of the external world. To illustrate… we like to play on the swing, and we have enough food and drink in our lunchboxes so we can play for a long time, but there are other people who also want to play and eat, so now we need some sort of morality concerning how to take turns on the swings and not steal each others lunchboxes.
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The fourth goal, mokṣa, is freedom – the ability to rest, give up activities, and be liberated from  responsibilities. This one is required because the quest for external kāma is exhausting and we need to rest. After playing on the playground for a long time, even with sufficient food and drink, and good manners and morals, eventually we get tired of it and need mokṣa – a break. A chance to just go in a corner somewhere by ourselves and stop everything, fall asleep, and recoup. 
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The most ambitious form of mokṣa is to entirely cease external existence altogether.
– Vraja Kishor dās
VrajaKishor.com

Tagged: Artha, Dharma, four hindu goals, goals of life, kama, moksa

Bhagavatam first canto study 5 – 1.2.1-1.2.8 – The Bhagavatam’s speaker and subject are radically exalted
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